It's always refreshing when you hear a track that has one of those beats that forces you to pay attention to the lyrics and when the lyrics are fire, it's hard not be impressed! Put two bar-smiths on a mellow beat, with flows that only compliment the vibe of the song which makes "Darkness in the Abyss" all the more enjoyable. Sy Ari Da Kid has probably popped up on your social feed a few times with his freestyles but you've probably haven't sat down and gave him a listen so here is your opportunity. Darkness In The Abyss is the perfect intro to Sy Ari's persona and lyrical skill level. Not to mention, Mickey Factz always delivers with the cadence and punch lines that reinforces why we are big fans of his. We on a chill vibe today, so this is the perfect track for your Music Mondays! Hope you enjoy!
]]>It's been a minute but we are back with another edition of Music Mondays! You should be familiar with this artist because he's been making Waves since 1999 (my fans will get the reference). Either way, Joey Badass has come a long way from being considered an underground rapper to a mainstream success and I would basically put him in a similar category as Kendrick and J Cole to a certain degree. He's dropped a few mixtapes that would be considered classics like 1999 and Pro-Era, and his second album All-Amerikkkan Badass was a masterful project that depicted the state of American from a socio-political perspective, particularly commenting on the Black experience in the United States. More recently, Joey has been busy flexing his acting skills starring as Inspectah Deck in Wu-Tang Saga and Power Book III: Raising Kanan as Unique. Also, did you know he has an Oscar for the short film Two Distant Strangers? All that to say he's been dabbling in a variety of different things but when he drops a song, it brings you back to his talent as an artist.
With this latest drop, Joey goes back to his roots with this track called Head High, produced by Statik Selektah and it really takes you back to Joey's earlier music but displays more lyrical sophistication. If you are feeling a bit down or doubting yourself lately, no matter what, keep your head high and celebrate how far you've come. Stay Clutch.
]]>Nowadays, it is rare to find a rap duo that is making waves with hard hitting bars, sick lyrics and dope production. Even harder is to find one that is based in Toronto - Mississauga to be exact but just because it's hard to find, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. RUNXGUN are just that, hip hop veterans with a fresh take on "Toronto" Hip Hop if you want to call it that. Hailing from Mississauga, lyrical skill is their main focus for their music which is born out of a collective frustration from naysayers and non-believers telling them how they should move in the rap industry. So, they came together to silence the crowd to deliver a project as they saw fit and the Contra EP was born.
Now they are back with a follow up to Contra and these two artists are fashioning a unique style and creating a lane of their own. With this single, Nothing Like It, you are definitely sold on the beat as soon as it drops but then you hear the lyrics, the flow and the rhymes which don't take long to win you over. Right away, they remind me of a cross between Smiff N Wessun and Griselda, classic hip hop bars over a hard hitting beats with an underlying theme. Griselda always seemed to go with the throwback wrestling theme but with RunXGun, it's throwback games, hence the name Contra, and now their new project called Super C (Super Contra). It is 7 tracks of dope lyricism and soulful production that real hip hop heads love. Take in the track, follow them on their socials and let us know what you think! Stay Clutch!
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Any other year around this time, millions of people around the world would be grearing up for Trinidad Carnival; one of the most amazing spectacles of culture, costumes, and music. Every single year, the biggest soca artists release a whole new set of songs to match the vibe and get you ready for an entire year of rum, rythym and soca. This year, we have a new soca track from an amazing local artist right here in Toronto that will definitely have you jammin' and winin' in your desk chair. This upbeat groovy riddim comes from a Toronto artist named Gyles and one of the biggest artists out of St Lucia, Teddyson John.
You have to understand how amazing it is to see a Toronto artist represent for the Soca massive, plus get put on a riddim with a huge soca artist is no small feat since these riddims are dominated by the likes of Machel Montano, Patrice Roberts, Kerwin Dubois and the list goes on. If you feel like reminiscing on feteing in the Summer, jamming downt he road for Caribana or Trinidad Carnival, then let this song lift your soca spirit. Don't worry, by the end of this year and with tracks liket his, Carnivals will be back in full swing in no time. Enjoy! Stay Clutch!
]]>If you know me, you know I'm really into the underground hip hop scene. With the radio airwaves being dominated by Trap and Top 40, I find it difficult at times to find music that you won't hear 40 times a day. Well, enter Earl Sweatshirt, one of the more popular artists from Odd Future music collective which includes most notably, Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean and Syd the Kid. For me, Earl represents a segment of hip hop that is hyper focused on Lo Fi style beats, aromatic samples, and a chill bass that forces you to listen to the lyrics and rhyme schemes. With a talent such as Earl Sweatshirt, many of the rhymes and punchlines are not so easy to catch so you actually to end up listening to the song 40 times in a row, not just because it's good, but because you are really trying to understand the meaning behind the words. Off his new album Sick!, the single 2010 just gives you a classic Earl verse, a little bit dismal, no fancy choruses and cryptic rhymes and leave you questioning so many things, but that's just part of Earl's appeal as a rapper. Just check out the below sequence and tell me if you if it doesn't leave you puzzled and fascinated at the same time:
When the mood change I'ma poker face 'em
It's a new day, who got all the aces?Who be foldin' late? Who know when to play dead?
Who sit up straight when the roof caved in?
Had a full plate, you ain't wanna split it
Tell it to you straight, you ain't wanna listen
Cup runneth over the brim
Bust open, there's no closin' the lid
Over the past few years, Dreamville artists have been super consistent in dropping some amazing single and projects. JID has been a stand out from the beginning and has recently opened up a whole new space for himself. Fun Fact, he recently surpassed J.Cole's monthly listeners on Spotify, mostly due to his collab with Imagine Dragons for the Arcade League of Legends soundtrack. But I would say, it's because if you ever get the chance to listen to JID, you will realize he's super talented and the flow is crazy. Well, if you haven't heard JID, I hope his new track called Surround Sound wins you over.
What hooks you first is the sample which you should recognize from Mos Def's classic, Ms Fat Booty (if you don't know they you are just too young). With that, you are instantly intrigued to see where the song goes, and boy, does the song GO HARD! JID sets it off like Jada Pinkett in the 90s and immediately sets the tone with his quick flow matching the upbeat pace of the song. It then slows down for a second for the sample to come back in just in time for 21 Savage to come through with his classic style. Lastly, Yung Baby Tate, lays a quick serenade that serves as a bridge before JID finishes the track like Mortal Kombat when the beat switches. Not to mention, the visuals are just as amazing as the artists featured on the song.
Hope this gives you some much needed soundtrack as you set your agenda to takeover this week!
Stay Clutch
]]>I take pride to being the first to put someone on to some good music but I seem to be really late to this Wizkid party. Don't get me wrong, been a big Wizkid fan since "Holla At Your Boy" (and if you don't know that track and consider yourself and Wizkid fan, you need to revisit that thought). But when his latest album dropped last year called "Made in Lagos" I thought it was too slow for my taste. You see, I'm used to Wizkid providing those amazing Afrobeats club tracks that make you want to dance. So when he dropped this Afro-Swing style fused with R&B, I can say I didn't give the album enough runs to appreciate it. So when Essence took the airwaves by storm late last Summer, I started to pay a bit more attention and ever since then, the tracks just keep popping up and I have social media to blame. I've heard this song come up on my feed and every time I hear it, it puts me in that nice, chill mood. You know, the ones where you just vibin' with a glass of wine, in my Clutch hoodie, reminiscing on good times pre-pandemic...ah the good ol' days. That amazing thing is, it is not Wizkid that provides that vibe, it's Afrobeats heavyweight Buju (not Banton) and his vibe on the chorus just provides the right serenading for the entire track. He provides the cool singing using broken english (pidgin) and West African vernacular that makes this song hard not to like, even if you don't know exactly what he's saying. Sometimes, it is not what you say, it's how you say it!
The switch up on the second stanza on the chorus is everything:
Make we go dey sempe
But some liquor dey do me jeje
Get somethings wey dey bother my head, I swear
Na you dey cool my stress, oh yeah
Basic interpretation:
let's go away somewhere quiet,
with some alcohol that will calm me down.
There's lot of things on my mind
And you help release the stress.
That was your lesson on Nigerian culture for 2022, many more lessons to come :) All I have to say is this song puts me in a big "mood" and makes me want to feel this vibe all 2022! Take in the full track and let us know what you think.
STAY CLUTCH!
]]>First off, Happy New Year! I sincerely hope you had an amazing and safe holiday break with your family and friends. As you embark on your journey with a new mindset, let go of all the fear & doubt and MAKE 2022 YOUR CLUTCHEST YEAR YET!
Now that the new year blessings are out the way, let's start the year off with a certified Afrobeats banger featuring none other than Ed Sheeran...and who doesn't like Ed Sheeran? In case you don't know, Ed Sheeran is well-connected in the motherland. So much so, he has spent considerable time in Ghana, learned to speak a bit of Twi and has collaborated with artists such as Fuse ODG, Stormzy, Burna Boy just to name a few. Basically, Ed is invited to the cookout and now with this latest collabo with Nigerian artist Fireboy DML, let's say he will be invited to the JollofWars as an honoured guest for both sides. Fireboy originally dropped Peru earlier this year and the song was an Afrobeats hit, but now add Ed to the mix, let's just say this song is on a whole officially fire and is currently trending on Youtube.
Start your year off with some heat and get your mind ready to take over this year! Stay tuned on Mondays for more music to add to your playlist!
]]>Whether you know it or not, Haviah Mighty is doing big things as an artist. As a Canadian, we all know how difficult it can be to stand out as a rapper in the hip hop scene up north but Haviah has been making some major moves over the past few years. Most notably, she won the Polaris Music Prize in 2019 and has been dropping heat ever since. Her new album "Stock Exchange" just dropped along with visuals for her single "Tesla" and both definitely deserve your attention. Outside of music, Haviah recently took to her Instagram to show her support by Black Owned Business by donating $10k to support Black Entrepreneurs. Shoutouts to Haviah for coming through in the clutch for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
So, if you need some new flava in ya ear, give our girl from Brampton some love and listen to her new album "Stock Exchange" on all platforms.
Stay Clutch
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If you haven't heard of Darkoo, then you are missing out on an amazing artist who is breaking barriers and destroying stereotypes of what a "female" artist should be. A Nigerian-born, UK-based artist, Darkoo first made waves with her hit single "Gangsta" which blew up just months before her 19th birthday and he's been dropping fire ever since. She's leading the way in a genre called "AfroSwing" which blends afrobeats, r&b, trap and dancehall that is taking over the UK. What makes Darkoo unique is that she is fluid, meaning that her gender identity can change day to day and she's known to "switch up" so effortlessly which has lead to plenty speculation about her gender identity. In her opinion, she is just so comfortable with herself and she hopes inspires others to do the same*. It's amazing to see how artists like Darkoo can break the mould and challenges our own perception of how artists should look and act. Apart from that, her new drop with Tion Wayne called Slow Down is that perfect mid-tempo pace to set yourself up for smooth sailing this week. Hope this challenges you to slow down a bit this week and put yourself on cruise control while you still get $h*t done! You won't even feel those speed bumps this week :)
Drop a comment and let us know about artists and songs we should know about to feature on Music Mondays.
STAY CLUTCH
]]>Last week we had a hard-hitting track from Freddie Gibbs and Jadakiss, so this week we had to give you something more smooth and mellow. Raheem Devaughn who had some big r&b hits in the early 2000s, has been dropping some decent underground projects. Recently, he dropped Lovesick, produced by popular underground product Apollo Brown and I must say, it is a good listen. Raheem provides a perfect blend of hip hop and soulful r&b with his smooth vocals coupled with features from talented artists like Skyzoo & Boogie.
This song however, is the first track off the album and it definitely sets the tone for the project. "If You're the One" featuring Skyzoo is a classic tale of boy meets girl, and boy trying to get to know girl with a series of questions to see if she could be the one. The song is easy to follow and super relatable if you've ever been in a situation where you are dating and checking for that special lady. Fellas, if you need some help with spitting some game, take in the lyrics while you listen to the track.
Excuse me miss, I've been checking for you
Are you the shy type? What type of films you like?
Do you like the blue-collarеd guys? Or the hood type?
What you sipping tonight, baby? Dark or white?
And if that vocals don't get you, Skyzoo perfectly matches the song content with his bars and delivery, giving it a whole new pace. These are the kind of tracks that if you are not paying attention, really good music ends up passing you by. With projects like this, who can say true R&B is dead? Let us know what ya'll think.
]]>Music Mondays is all about provide you with some new & classic tracks to start your week off right. This week features a song from two talented lyricists, a beat that kicks with heavy bass and an airy sample that just adds an ominous feeling that is perfect for the storytelling.
Gibbs starts off with his classic wordy flow and a speedy cadence that gets you as soon as the beat drops. Peep this line "They want to take me out the game like Sha'Carri, Black Illuminati, touch Big Rabbit, streets need a body / I got all of them leeches away from round me, you ain't rich enough to get me here p*&sy, go up the bounty". If that doesn't make you respect Freddie's flow and connect with this song, then I don't know what else to tell you.
And just when you think the song can't get any better, here comes the legend Jadakiss with his rugged voice that makes everything he says sound grittier. He strings together a series of punchlines through the whole verse and goes on for several line with the same rhyme scheme which shows he's one of the GOATs.
Enjoy listening and let us know what else you got on your playlist today.